The poem is a critique on the situation of women in the world. It is a
rather pessimistic view of woman's position in society. Women are shown to
be merely victims/servants of men inherent in the words "you know how men
pay" although of course this is intended to be ironic. It draws attention
to women's suffering because of men. The way men treat women is focussed
upon, and also the fact that women are 'marked "/ scarred by the way they
are treated (by men) They are shown to be at the receiving end of men's
actions - the reference to the lines under the eyes of women signifies pain
and stress perhaps old age accelerated brought on by the usual "problems" a
woman has to face as a mother and a wife. Sandburg presents woman as
helpless and impotent in a male world, and this is troubling.

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